Imperial Citizen's Union
The idea for the Party is to be the representation of the citizenry in a government that seems to be wrapped up in various agendas that are coutner to the well-being of the majority of Darnussians as a whole. History: The Book In 3000, Johnson , a long time Libertarian released a surprising book called Wage Slavery: A History of Capitalism in Narikaton. The book, while surprising, had a very Marxist view tiwards the stuggle of classes in the region. From this point, Johnson was thought to be a Communist , but he denied such allegations. He did admit though, that he had become disenfranchised with the laissez-faire capitalism of the Libertarian party. Founding It was founded after a meeting between Tristan Johnson (at the time a Libertarian) and colleague Erin Sistak (at the time a Communist). Both had become disenfranchised with the party line and due to the release of Johnson's latest book, a group of disenfranchised Libertarians and Communists had followed his political writings. The two found a real possibility for change, and soon had created the party. Since the announcement, Sistak and Johnson have been touring and speaking with student groups, unions, and town hall meetings to develop a base of Communists who do not trust the state and Libertarians who don't trust free market capitalism. The Johnson Years: Creating a Movement The formative years of the party were largely a time of advertising. Johnson led a relatively small party mainly in the intelligentcia of Darnussia and spent much of his time advertising to the public. The largest supporters came from the Communist block, especially as the newly founded Liberty Party began to be more attractive to disenfranchised Libertarians leaving the dissolving party. Johnson led the party to a peak of 12% of parliament before the introduction of the Liberty and Democratic Socialist parties as well as the beginnings of the Nationalist Party which hemorrhaged many seats from the party. Shortly after the downswing in representation and the only slight victory of the 3027 election Johnson died in a car accident in April of 3028, leaving the party in the leadership of Johnson 's ideological partner in founding the party, Erin Sistak . The Sistak Leadership: Finding a Place Rather thrust into the position of party leader in the wake of Johnson 's death, Sistak was the woman tasked with keeping the party from dissolving after the death of its ideological founder and finding the new role for the Libertarian Socialists in tha nation. Her goal became to be the voice of compromise. In many events, with moderate success, the Libertarian Socialists became the bridge of left and right in an attempt to find a middle ground in a very polarized parliament. She was the first to criticize the Nationalists when they came into existence and later into majority power. This created a great disruptance in the party's stance as the compromiser and moderator. This was completely thrown aside as war broke out in 3035. Sistak urged that the Libertarian Socialists became the anti-war voice as Darnussia rolled down the slope to war. One of the first actions Sistak organized was a series of demonstrations and protests which eventually became its own organization within the party known as the GreenShirts . Shortly after the breakout of war, in the nuclear attacks on Merenbürg according to government sources, displeased over the lack of protection for civilians, the Libertarian Socialist leadership including Sistak gave their room in special government bomb shelters to civilians and the majority of party leadership was killed in the attack. The Saft Leadership: In the Face of Destruction Falko Saft was quickly elected party leader, making him joint leader of the GreenShirts and the Libertarian Socialist Party. His goal has been to unify the party in an anti-war movement and end the war using whatever peaceful means possible. Since taking leadership actions of civil disobedience and vandalism linked to the GreenShirts have increased dramatically. At the end of the Darnussia-Keymon War , Saft in an open letter promised to renew the party's efforts to revpeal the nation's war measures and labeled the other parties as authoritarian. The message was extremely antagonistic and pitted the party against all others in a struggle for the civil rights of the citizens. Despite these promises inner party support for the leader faded with the end of the war and Saft eventually did resign as leader in 3048. The Second Johnson: Bridging the Divide The new party leader elected under a spirit of returning to original party values was that of Claire Johnson , Great grand-niece to Tristan Johnson . Following the party and involved since highschool she quickly rose through the ranks of the party both under her family legacy and personality. At age 24 she was one of the youngest party leaders in Darnussian history and is currently the only female party leader. She had under her leadership led the LSPD to the highest seat count in the party's history and attempted to bridge a highly divided nation. After a series of major election vistories in a period of stability, Johnson stepped down to let a new generation take charge. The Bronstein Leadership: Blood and Politics In the period of large success and the LSPD finally being considered a mainstream political party, Simone Bronstein took the reins under a promise to continue socialist policies but put new emphasis on civil rights and liberties. Most controversy is her heritage to the legendary Communist Bronstein family. She eventually brought the party into position of official opposition for a decade and at the end of her leadership changed the party name to the Citizen's Union of Darnussia as a response to the party becoming more established. The Jackal Administration: Becoming the Opposition Tony Jackal, a senior party officialy was elected leader of the new ICU for his inclusive personality and positive message used in his election as MP. Jackal is responsible for the change of the party to one of the more extreme Libertarian Socialist position to one of a Social Democratic platform and managing the opposition party of Darnussia. Jackal is most remembered for keeping the aprty alive during the reign of the emperor, retiring at the age of 92 after a lifetime dedicated to fighting the crown in parliament. Factions Libertarians Distraught by the complete lack of appreciation for civil liberties by the other parties, Libertarians tend to vote for the LSPD. Communists Former Communist supporters who have beome maligned to the idea of total state control. They have very strong communist social policy ideals, but wish for less control from the state. This is a smaller group, but growing as more students and unions get involved. Since the founding of the party, more Communists have been joining than Libertarians and today a majority of the base of the party are former Communists. Cynics People who are displeased with the government's current system in any way have taken to the Libertarian Socialist cause as an alternative that has yet to do wrong in their eyes. Feminists With 3 out of the 6 leaders of the ICU being female and often the only female presidential candidate, many Feminists groups and many women who choose to go into politics join the ICU. Claire Johnson in her last years as party leader initiated a program within the party to recruit more powerful independent female members. Moderates Moderates of almost all leanings are turning to the ICU as the only party not seeking active revolution, fascist dictatorship, or ethnic separatism. Political Philosophy Social Democracy Social democracy is a political ideology of the left on the classic political spectrum. The contemporary social democratic movement seeks to reform capitalism to align it with the ethical ideals of social justice while maintaining the capitalist mode of production, as opposed to creating an alternative socialist economic system. Practical modern social democratic policies include the promotion of a welfare state, and the creation of economic democracy as a means to secure workers' rights. Social democracy was a form of evolutionary reformist socialism, rejecting elements of Marxism, Revolutionary socialism and class struggle, and taking a moderate position that socialism could be established through political reforms. The distinction between Social Democracy and Democratic Socialism had yet to fully develop at this time. Social democracy is a socialist movement supporting gradualism; the belief that gradual democratic reforms to capitalist economies will eventually succeed in creating a socialist economy, rejecting forcible imposition of socialism through revolutionary means. This gradualism has resulted in various far left groups, including communists, of accusing social democracy of accepting the values of capitalist society and therefore not being a genuine form of socialism, instead labeling it a concession made to the working class by the ruling class. Social democracy rejects the Marxian principle of dictatorship of the proletariat and the creation of a socialist state, claiming that gradualist democratic reforms will improve the rights of the working class. Libertarian Socialism Libertarian socialism (sometimes called social anarchism, and sometimes left libertarianism) is a group of political philosophies that promote a non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic, stateless society without private property in the means of production. Libertarian socialism is opposed to all coercive forms of social organization, and promotes free association in place of government and opposes what it sees as the coercive social relations of capitalism, such as wage labor. The term libertarian socialism is used by some socialists to differentiate their philosophy from state socialism or by some as a synonym for left anarchism. Adherents of libertarian socialism assert that a society based on freedom and equality can be achieved through abolishing authoritarian institutions that control certain means of production and subordinate the majority to an owning class or political and economic elite. Libertarian socialism also constitutes a tendency of thought that promotes the identification, criticism and practical dismantling of illegitimate authority in all aspects of life. Accordingly, libertarian socialists believe that "the exercise of power in any institutionalized form—whether economic, political, religious, or sexual—brutalizes both the wielder of power and the one over whom it is exercised." Libertarian socialists generally place their hopes in decentralized means of direct democracy such as libertarian municipalism, citizens' assemblies, trade unions and workers' councils. Category:Darnussia